Elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders is prepared to go above and beyond in order to get interim head coach Antonio Pierce back on the sidelines permanently.
Before word got out that, if Pierce didn’t come back, Crosby may force the Raiders’ hand and demand a trade, the three-time Pro Bowler all but confirmed the ultimatum on his podcast, “The Rush.”
Crosby declared, “I want to be a Raider for sure.” “But, if we go in a different direction, you know, there’s nothing that’s off the table.”
Not everyone is endorsing Pierce, who took over for the fired Josh McDaniels in Week 9 and guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record. Crosby is not the only one. The Raiders’ locker room is “united” behind the linebackers coach-turned-head coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
According to Rapoport, the Raiders are still considering major names like Jim Harbaugh of Michigan and have not even started the process of finding a new head coach. But if they were to turn down the player’s request for Pierce to return to lead the team, a rebellion might break out, ending the new government before it even had a chance to get off the ground.
On a four-year contract that will pay him $19 million in 2024 and $21 million in 2025 and 2026, the 26-year-old has three seasons left. The agreement does, however, provide for a possible exit after the 2025 campaign.
There would be no shortage of suitors if Crosby asked to be let out of Las Vegas. Even though he and his colleagues hope that doesn’t happen and Pierce is eventually reintegrated into the team by the Raiders
“You have to act morally at some point. For the future and the fans,” Crosby remarked.
